Opportunity Overview
The Vermont Arts Council Artists in Schools Grant FY2027 supports quality, multi-day arts and arts-integrated learning experiences in Vermont schools with teaching artists. The current Round 3 is open and supports projects typically lasting 3-10 days in classrooms, schoolwide settings, or accessible after-school programs.
Funding and Deadline
Applicants may request up to $4,000. The current Round 3 deadline is September 28, 2026. The controlling program page and FY27 guidelines do not publish a closing clock time or time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Round 3 is dependent on available funds. The Council states that additional rounds may be added if funding remains.
The Vermont Arts Council does not publish a total FY27 Artists in Schools funding pool. There is no stated mandatory match or cost-share percentage; however, teaching artist fees vary and the grant may not cover the full project cost.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include schools and school districts recognized by, in good standing with, and not on probation with the Vermont Agency of Education. This includes public schools, union schools, independent schools, Career and Technical Education programs, and Adult Education programs serving students in grades preK-12. Vermont 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations may also apply when they have a documented school/district partnership and a compliant student-access plan.
Applicants may not apply if they already received an Artists in Schools Grant for the same school year, are proposing the same project with the same teaching artist for more than two years in a row, have overdue Vermont Arts Council final reports, or receive a multi-year Vermont Arts Council operating grant during the project year. All applicants must provide a federal Unique Entity ID (UEI) to receive funding.
Eligible Costs and Project Rules
Funds primarily support teaching artist instruction/student contact time and related artist planning, content-development, or culminating-project time. Projects are typically funded at up to $400 per day for an individual artist or $600 per day for a group of two or more artists. Up to $250 of the award may be used for materials and/or student transportation. Applicants must negotiate the teaching artist scope and fees before applying.
Projects funded through this cycle must take place after September 1, 2026 and end by August 31, 2027. For the September 28 round, the targeted notification date is October 15, 2026, and proposed activities should begin no earlier than November 9, 2026. Grantees are responsible for applicable background checks, required acknowledgements, and a final report within 30 days after the activity and no later than September 30, 2027.
Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the Vermont Arts Council online grant portal. Applicants should provide the proposed residency description and narrative responses, identify the teaching artist, provide supporting artist experience materials when using a non-rostered artist, submit a project budget, and provide the name and contact information of the finance administrator who will administer the grant contract and funds.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 70/100. This is a verified, currently open Vermont school-education funding opportunity with broad qualifying school eligibility, a clear September 28 round, and a straightforward project structure. The modest $4,000 ceiling and arts-specific allowable costs limit strategic value outside arts education.
N9+ Fit: 0/100. The grant is restricted to teaching-artist residency costs and limited materials/transportation and does not establish an allowable remote physical examination or telehealth technology pathway.
QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. This is arts-education funding rather than healthcare service delivery. Atlas should not manufacture a clinical-services proposition.
Realistic Vermont Applicant Examples
Qualifying Vermont schools and districts with a genuine teaching-artist project are realistic applicants. Burlington Technical Center is a plausible example based on prior Artists in Schools participation and its current Vermont CTE operation; Director Jason Reed is publicly listed at jreed@bsdvt.org and 802-864-8426. Barre Unified Union School District is another plausible candidate; its current Director of Curriculum is Amanda Riggleman at ariggbsu@buusd.org. Applicant-specific eligibility still requires confirming that the organization has not already received an FY27 Artists in Schools award and that it has a real project and teaching-artist partnership.
Program Contact
Troy Hickman, Vermont Arts Council Education Program Manager: thickman@vermontartscouncil.org; 802-402-4496.
Official source: Vermont Arts Council – Artists in Schools, verified September 11, 2026.